Working With Writers

This has been my favorite chapter that we have read the entire semester.  The core of this chapter is the concept that we are all people.  We are all vulnerable and we can all use some good, honest communication in our lives.  What I really like about this chapter is that 95% of everything we read can relate to our everyday lives.  We can use these tools and skills in the work place and also in our relationships with our friends and families.  

The author wanted us to realize that we are all writers and when we edit somebody's writing we should put ourselves in their shoes.  We need to remember what it feels like when we let somebody read something that we write.  

I used to work in a sales/marketing position and we used this exact same concept but we called it "Bringing them around the counter."  I used to set up local and national discount programs for teachers unions and other organizations across the country.  I would call business owners and ask if they would like to participate by giving a discount.  There was no cost to them.  We would market their business to the members in their area for free as long as they would honor a discount.  

A lot of business owners would agree to participate but they looked at it more like charity than a business opportunity.  They would usually just want to offer a small 10% discount so I would then have to help them realize that it was more than that.  I had to "bring them around the counter" and help them remember what it feels like to be a customer.  Is a 10% discount worth the customer's time?  If they were going to go to a restaurant close by would a 10% discount be enough to get them to change their mind and go to your place?  I would help see the discount from a customer's perspective and then help them set up an offer that would actually help drive their sales.  

I think if we tried to put ourselves in others shoes more often, we could handle situations better than we normally do.  We just need to remember that we all crave support, understanding, and love.  If we interact with people with that in mind we can be a great benefit to the people around us.  

Editing Mistake

My wife got me an Xbox One for Christmas so I have been reading reviews to decide which headset I want to get.  I found this review on enconnected.com.  There are three mistakes in the first paragraph. Plus it is poorly written overall. 

Video gaming is a strange hobby. All at once there’s this almost primitive urge to save as much money as you possible(Should be "possibly) can so that you might be able to pour it into purchasing more games. At that same time, to enjoy gaming you must have the basics, accessories that you need to get the most out of each and every play experience. With the Xbox One — like very(should be "every") other game console before it — users want to be immersed in the experience. That’s why they spend money that they’d normally be saving for games on headphones like Turtle Beach’s Ear For( They are called Ear Force not Ear For) XO Four headset for the Xbox One console.